I'm thinking about changing the category for this from Tai/Sora to Tai/Matt like I had originally wanted. This is because this story focuses more on Tai and Matt as characters as opposed to the romantic development of Tai and Sora, but based on the reviews I have received, it seems like people are expecting the latter. Sora is definitely an important character in this story, but she is only important with respect to Tai. She is without a doubt secondary to Matt, and I don't want people to be disappointed if I cheat Taiora of events usually seen in romantic fics.
Nevertheless, a million thanks to all readers and reviewers!
Paradigm Shift
Chapter 4: At Least I Still Have You
Matt sighed as he turned on the telly, changing it to his father's channel out of habit. He rarely watched television anymore, but when he did, he would always start there. He settled into the couch, holding in his hands a new carton of cigarettes he had just bought at the convenience store, where the young student who always worked there had unsuccessfully tried her best not to judge him. He wasn't addicted, so it wasn't like he was going to smoke all of them. It was just that he had determined at the shop that buying in bulk was a better deal than buying one at a time.
He took one pack out the box and set the rest behind the couch so Tai couldn't see them if he decided to come into the sitting room.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Pounding the cigarette pack against his palm, his eyes barely paid attention to the variety programme he had just turned on. He had never really found them all that entertaining, but he supposed the constant noise made for a good distraction. He withdrew a stick from the box, putting it between his lips as his hands searched his pocket for his lighter. It wasn't there.
"Did you take my lighter?" Matt asked loudly into the empty room, hoping his voice would carry over to Tai.
"Why the hell would I have your lighter?" Tai answered back from his bedroom.
Because Tai was annoying enough to where he'd take it just to piss him off, that's why. Still, Matt gave his flatmate the benefit of the doubt and went into his room in search of it. He couldn't find it anywhere. He checked his bedside stand, under his pillows and sheets, on his desk, in his desk drawers, under his desk, by the windowsill—where was it?—under his bed, under his sheets one more time. Nothing. He went back into the sitting room in case he had just overlooked it being somewhere obvious, like the coffee table. No such luck. He kneeled on the floor, using his hands to push through couch cushions, and, when that proved unyielding, he lied down, closing one eye to check underneath the couch.
Still nothing.
He checked the coffee table once more, running his hands against the surface even though it was clearly not there. He checked his pockets again, just in case. He checked the balcony, the dining room he hadn't entered all day, the kitchen, the broom closet, outside his front door.
Where the hell was his lighter?!
He knew he could stop smoking if he wanted to, but knowing that he in that very moment could not smoke one made him crave a cigarette like he had never craved one before.
Just as he was about to head back to the convenience store to buy another one, an idea sparked in his head. He dashed to the kitchen. Gas stove. He turned it on and placed his cigarette by the low fire, successfully lighting it after a few seconds. Quite pleased with his reasoning, he rewarded himself with a long drag, sighing contently as he exhaled.
"Not addicted, huh?"
Matt turned around to see Tai judging him from the hallway, but he automatically disregarded his sarcasm. "I can stop if I want to."
"You're using the damn stove to light your cigarette. That's called an addiction, dumbass. And smoke outside!"
"Where are you going?" he asked, knowing very well that Tai hated when he changed the subject to avoid commenting. He didn't know why Tai kept telling him to smoke outside though, because they both knew he wasn't going to do it.
Tonight, Tai didn't make an irritated remark, simply looking down at his changed attire. He had gone from his usual t-shirt and shorts combination to a button-down and smart trousers.
"Out," Tai answered vaguely before turning around to leave the kitchen.
Perhaps it was due to the previous weekend's events, but Matt noticed that Tai had not invited-slash-forced him out for the evening. Matt was thankful for this.
He followed Tai out of the kitchen, watching as his flatmate made his way to the door to put on his shoes. "Are you coming back tonight?"
Tai shrugged. "Maybe."
Matt rolled his eyes. "That means no. Are you off to ruin Sonoka's life again?"
He still couldn't believe Tai had invited her over last weekend. After that whole spiel of wanting to settle down, it was not even an hour later that Sonoka, Tai's definition of disposable, had appeared at their doorstep. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to criticise her or pity her, but he supposed he leaned towards the latter. What Tai said about her and what Tai said to her were two very different things, and all it took was a little bit of boredom from Tai's side to start things up again.
Tai ignored him, taking his keys from the hook by the door. "See you."
Once Tai had rushed out, Matt was alone in their flat. He usually didn't mind being by himself, but for some reason it hit him that it was a Saturday night, and he would be spending it like this. It wasn't even that he necessarily wanted to go out. It was that he was doing nothing with nobody.
Now that he wasn't with Megumi, it had become evident that he didn't really have many friends. He had been able to juggle a girlfriend and his other friends throughout school and uni, but that changed when he got a job and his free time drastically reduced. He and Megumi spent nearly everyday with each other, and often he would cancel plans he had with other people to make room for her. She used to do the same for him…
He missed her.
He forgot what he had originally been thinking about, if he had been thinking of anything particularly different at all.
He wondered how she was. Was she dead? Was that why she still hadn't rang him? Surely, her family would have informed him if something that tragic had happened to her. Right? Even if they weren't together anymore, it didn't mean she could erase him just like that. Right? She still thought of him. Right?
Right?
Right?!
Right. She wouldn't do that to him. He knew her, and she couldn't even if she wanted.
He could hear his mobile ringing faintly, and he jolted up in an instant and made a mad sprint for his room. Finally, finally, finally—
Throwing open the door, he ran to his bed and snatched his mobile from it. His excitement faded as quickly as it had come, seeing the name flashing on the screen. It wasn't her, just an old friend of his. Massively disappointed, he almost just set it back down, but then he found that he suddenly, secretly hoped that his mate had called to ask him to do something—anything to distract him from going mad.
He put his mobile up to his ear, the first time he had answered a phone call in two weeks.
"Hello?"
He and Sora had been talking all week, mostly through text. He had asked her out a week ago, during a time he had felt emotionally compelled due to news of his sister's pregnancy. That gave him seven days to come up with an excuse to back out of this date.
It surprised him that he did not.
It was a fairly accurate statement to say he was not a fan of dating. Casually meeting up sometimes was one thing. He could do that easily, but he hated the formal concept of dating. Dating led to relationships, and he had never liked being a part of those.
It wasn't that he thought relationships were stupid. He couldn't imagine his sister without her husband, and up until recently, he had thought the same of Matt and Megumi. People like them thrived as a couple, especially evident after Matt's abysmal transformation following his breakup. He, on the other hand, didn't think he was made for it. He found the idea of being labelled as one-half of something insufferably suffocating.
Nevertheless, contrary to what his friends thought of him, he was not a deranged person who found joy in breaking women's hearts. What bothered him was that he never asked for them in the first place. It didn't matter how obvious he made it. He could never call them back, never pay for a single meal, or blatantly hit on other women in front of their faces. It didn't matter, because they'd still claim he led them on. Every time he got involved with a girl, no matter how many defensive barriers he put up in advance, something would go wrong. No strings attached never meant no strings attached. Friends with benefits was always a bad idea. Casual dating only lasted so long.
So, he didn't date.
He could see himself settle down in the future maybe. Perhaps when he hit thirty.
But for now? No way. It was a waste of his youth.
That being said, he did not back out on his date with Sora. He had definitely thought about it, even drafting a text telling of his sudden change of schedule. He scrapped the message when his mother decided at the same moment to ring him. The next half hour was spent listening to how proud his mother was of Kari.
In the end, he decided to keep his date with Sora because to cancel would be to get ahead of himself. It was just one date, and even if he didn't really know her, Sora seemed like a cool girl.
She gave him another reason to continue on with the evening when she came out of her flat wearing a body-con dress that clung to her silhouette perfectly. He probably stared at it a second too long, but if she noticed, she didn't show it. Not wanting to risk being labelled as a pervert, he made a conscious effort to keep his eyes on her face.
"Am I too formal?" she asked, drawing his attention back to the dress just as he had successfully shifted it away. "I wasn't sure what the dress code was, but I can put on something else if it is."
There was no way around it. She was much too formal for the semi-casual restaurant where he had made reservations.
But he definitely didn't want her to change.
"No, you look great."
This was his own fault anyway. She had asked him what kind of restaurant they were going to earlier that day, and he had jokingly said the finest in all of Japan. He had attached an "lol" to the message to indicate that it was a joke, but evidently that hadn't been enough.
"Just give me one more minute," she said apologetically, opening the door further to let him inside.
"No problem. I'm a little early."
He hadn't meant to be. He had just ran out the door before Matt could question him about where he was going.
She led him to the sitting room, showing him her couch before leaving for her room to finish getting ready.
He used this moment to quickly send an text to his assistant, telling her to make a reservation for two at any posh restaurant and to give him a confirmation and an address within the next sixty seconds.
His assistant, bless her heart, always moved heaven and earth for him. He wondered if she secretly despised him for always giving her outrageous tasks like these—on a Saturday night no less, but as expected, she came through. Within minutes, she sent him the information of a new restaurant and an apology for taking so long.
That took care of the location problem. Now to do something about his appearance.
While his current outfit might earn him a few questioning looks, he was glad that he had an extra suit in the car. He always kept one there, just in case he had any sort of accident at work. The suit jacket would go with his current trousers, giving the illusion that he had purposely worn them together.
Dilemma avoided, Sora reappeared, now wearing a long jacket that regrettably hid that incredible dress, though he supposed that was a good thing for his misbehaving eyes.
He stood up, grinning at her. "Ready?"
"Lead the way."
"Congratulations."
First TK's news, now this.
"I know! Can you believe it?!"
Were people timing these?
He had been to restaurants this high-class before, but they were always for business as opposed to dates. Chandeliers lit the ceiling and artistically carved mahogany panels streamlined the perimeter. White tablecloths adorned the tables and chairs, each arrangement decorated with a sprig of flowers and a tea candle floating in a water-filled vase. Every person appeared to have dressed in his or her best clothes, and though he supposed he did look the part, this stiff environment wasn't him. He felt out of place here, but when he glanced over at the tranquil Sora who seemed so unaffected, he too chose to play it cool. Seeing her appear so composed made him wonder if men took her to these kind of restaurants all the time.
If that was the case, he was glad he had changed the venue. It would have been a little embarrassing had she been used to this kind of atmosphere and he took her somewhere below her usual status. Oddly, this hadn't been the impression he had originally gotten of her, though he supposed that despite his level of comfort with her, she was but a stranger.
So, he tried to get to know her better.
Despite talking back and forth they had during the week, it hit him that he didn't know anything about her. He knew that her co-worker had gotten scolded in front of everyone on Tuesday, she knew that he had accidentally broken a plate but blamed it on an inebriated Matt on Wednesday, but these were just trivial, passing events. Neither knew the other, to the point that they didn't even know each other's surnames.
He found out that night that it was Takenouchi. Sora Takenouchi.
She was born and raised in Kyoto but moved to Tokyo to start anew. She mentioned having to learn to speak in a Tokyo dialect, and he had excitedly pestered her until she showed him her native accent. He laughed, finding it both funny and charming, but she switched back after a few sentences.
She was his age, and she worked for an organisation that aimed to preserve and raise awareness for Japanese culture, in which she was on the fashion team that designed traditional clothing. He felt a little apprehensive to say that he worked at Mitsubishi Corporation once she told him that, as it was essentially the opposite of traditional Japanese ideals.
However, her lips formed a small 'o' as he told her. It was a reaction he was used to. Girls loved it. "Wow, Mitsubishi. You must be quite the smart one."
"Not at all," he immediately denied, chuckling because it wasn't an adjective many people used to describe him. "That isn't even me being modest. I just got a lucky break."
"Still, it's impressive."
He shook his head at her. He was not one to deflect compliments, but he felt like once people knew what he did for a living, they formed an opinion of him that was entirely untrue. "Don't be impressed. It's just another boring office job, and it isn't what I want to do."
"What do you want to do?"
He noticed that no matter what he said, she always seemed interested to listen to it. He recognised the face because it was an expression he faked often, though a small part of him hoped hers was genuine.
"Ideally, I'd love to work for the UN one day, but we'll see."
Applying for Mitsubishi had been his parents' idea, and he had only started working there because they had been so proud of him for getting an offer. It was only supposed to be for a couple years to save up money and gain a little experience, but with the continuous promotions and raises, it had already been five years. He was thinking about applying elsewhere soon, though he thought his mother would die not being able to brag about having a son who worked at Mitsubishi anymore.
That, and he had to admit that he had grown accustomed to a certain standard of living that he knew would downgrade once he left, at least as far as consumerism was concerned.
"I bet you could do it. Smart boy like you," Sora teased, taking a sip of her wine.
He rolled his eyes at the comment. Once they had disclosed their birthdays earlier that evening, it had become evident that she had been born before him. "For the last time, we were born in the same year. We're the same age."
"Yes, but I was born in March, ergo I am older than you," she reminded him with a small smirk. "You know, I don't usually go for younger guys."
"That's interesting. Too bad it's irrelevant because we're the same age."
She set her glass back down and looked around the restaurant, lowering her voice a notch. "But I have to admit you don't really strike me as the kind of guy who would like this kind of place. I was kind of expecting something casual until you told me it wouldn't be."
He chuckled quietly, debating whether he should tell her the truth. "Well then, I'll tell you a little secret."
He admitted to her what had happened, how he had only been kidding, forgetting that she couldn't read his joking tone via text, how he had to make a last-minute reservation in her sitting room, not wanting to admit everything to her when she was already expecting somewhere fancy.
She burst into laughter, and he almost expected her to call him an idiot.
"Well, I wouldn't have minded somewhere casual," she told him once she stopped laughing at him. "Casual's more my style too."
He grinned, pleased to hear it. "I'll have to take you somewhere casual next time then."
She smirked at his comment but didn't touch on his attempt to ask her out again. He didn't really think anything of it as he hadn't asked her directly anyway, and they spent the rest of dinner divulging facts about themselves and opinions they held. They got mildly excited when viewpoints coincided and good-naturedly argued when they clashed. He didn't think she was particularly witty, or that she was trying to be, but he found that everything she said either made him smile or laugh, and he also liked it when she would laugh at things he said too.
Whether it was due to the easy conversations or the cut of her dress, the night flew by quickly, both only acknowledging they should leave when they noticed all the surrounding tables had been cleared and refilled with other tenants multiple times.
She put her hand out when the bill came, but he quickly grabbed it before she could see. He knew that women only ever offered to pay on a first date so as to not come across as so entitled, but something told him that Sora was the kind of girl who would actually go through with the usual bluff.
"Let me see it," she insisted, trying to take the bill from him by reaching over the table.
He ignored her and pulled back further before opening the leather folder slightly to peek at the total. He had expected it to be expensive given the nature of this place, but he couldn't help but notice that it was five times the price he would have paid at the other restaurant.
"It's fine," he said, trying to appear unperturbed as he pulled out his wallet.
"Just let me see it at least."
He closed the folder and set it on the table, putting his elbow on top so she couldn't take it. "I'm not really sure why you're trying. You know I'm not going to show it to you."
She furrowed her eyebrows at him, looking troubled. "But it's so expensive…"
"You can get me next time," he joked, though her uneasy expression remained unchanged.
She didn't say anything to that comment either, instead offering, "Can I at least get you coffee?"
He tried to stop himself from grinning. She was inviting himself to her place! He had thought it would be difficult with this one, but all it had taken was paying for dinner. Just as he thought, women were all the same. If she was suggesting he get lucky tonight, he wasn't about to turn down her offer.
"By the way, I, er, I heard what happened between you and… er… Well, you're okay, right?"
Just how was it going around anyway? He hadn't really told many people, but he supposed one mouth was all that was needed to spread information.
Either that, or they were finding out from her side.
"Of course I am. It's whatever."
"Yeah, forget about her, mate. You'll find someone better."
You'll find someone better. You'll find someone better. You'll find someone better.
He felt rage. How many more times was he going to have to hear this? Everywhere he went, everyone seemed to know that he was going to find someone better. Never had he heard a more miserable excuse for consoling in his life.
Shut the fuck up, he wanted to say.
"Thanks," he said instead.
He had been wrong, as when Sora had suggested coffee, it hadn't been a euphemism for going to her place. She actually did take him to a café, but his disappointment was only short-lived. Seated in a cosy booth by the window, he took off his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, no longer feeling the need to appear so formal in such a small, quaint café. He was not much of a coffee drinker, but by Sora's recommendation he ordered a macchiato.
"It's a real one," she explained once they had been served their drinks. "See how it's layered?"
He nodded, pretending to know what she was talking about. Coffee was coffee was coffee in his book.
"Try it," she urged.
He did as she said, and while it indeed just tasted like any old cup of coffee, he pretended to enjoy it because she was watching for his reaction. "It's good!"
"I told you, right?" She sat back in her chair, looking satisfied. "This place is great. It's my favourite place to go for a pick-me-up."
"I'll tell Matt to come by then. He drinks coffee like it's water."
She didn't comment at first, leaning back slightly as she raised an eyebrow. "Still?"
Confused, it took him a second to realise what she was talking about. She thought he was still trying to push Matt onto her.
"No," he said as soon as he realised it, immediately trying to explain himself. "I didn't mean it like that. I just mentioned him because he likes coffee. That's all. I swear."
It was true. In hindsight, he was glad Sora had shown interest in him over Matt. It would have been a waste.
"How is he anyway?" she asked, not commenting on his excuse. "You said he was going through a rough time?"
"Er, yeah." He started to distractedly unwrap the piece of chocolate that had come with his coffee. In the past week, a few of his and Matt's mutual friends had reached out to him to ask about Matt's status. It kind of annoyed him and he would always brush them off, as he thought they were just being nosy. However, Sora didn't know either of them, so he thought she was just showing concern. "He went through a pretty devastating breakup a couple weeks ago."
"That's horrible," she said, eyes widening as if she thought it was so rare.
Perhaps it was in Matt's case. The entire time he had known Matt, never had he seen this shattered side of him. Matt was very adamant in being cool and collected, always appearing serious and aloof even when Tai could tell he wanted to act otherwise.
For that reason, Matt's reaction worried him more. This person he had become was not the person he was. He used to think Matt was a block of unemotional steel, impossible to falter. He didn't think that one person could break him in a blink of an eye.
"He'll find someone better," Tai said dismissively, though he honestly did mean his words. He used to think Matt and Megumi were the perfect match, but that illusion flew out the window the moment she left. As the days carried on, his disapproval over what she did slowly morphed into hatred, and Matt's refusal to fault her for anything only attributed to his case. He had always thought she was a bit expressionless at times, kind of like Matt, but he hadn't known she was heartless.
"I wouldn't say that to him yet," Sora suggested carefully, "but he probably will. I know I don't know him, but from what I could see that night I met you, he must have really loved her."
"She wasn't that great."
The seriousness in her expression left, and she laughed. "Well, at least he has a really nice friend to look out for him, right?"
Knowing she was referring to him, he joked, "Will you tell Matt that? You saw how he badmouthed me."
She nodded in agreement. "I thought he hated you."
"He probably hated me at that moment," Tai admitted, "but I was only trying to help him."
"By using me," she pointed out, half in jest.
"That's such a strong word," he said sheepishly. "It was worth it though, wasn't it? How else would you have introduced me to this delicious latte?"
"Macchiato."
"What?"
"It's called a macchiato."
"My apologies. Macchiato."
She smirked at him. "Well, anyway, even though you used me, I think it's nice you were trying to help him out. Have you guys known each other for a while?"
"We went to the same school, but he was a loser and I hung out with the cool kids, so I didn't really get to know him until uni," he joked. Then, to clarify, he added, "His brother is married to my little sister."
Her face lit up. "Aw, that's so sweet! So, technically, you two are family."
He nodded, not really having thought about it that way before. "Yeah, I guess we are."
He could still remember when he had first met Matt. He had approached him at school after hearing that he was the brother of his sister's new boyfriend. Matt had been very uninterested in getting to know him, so Tai had immediately labelled him a douche, going so far as to think that any brother of that prick Matt Ishida couldn't be worth his sister's time. They didn't really talk to each other until uni, when they coincidentally ended up in the same dormitory. They drove each other crazy for the first year, enough to where there were several instances Tai had seriously considered murdering him, but much to Kari's delight, they grew to be friends once they set their differences aside.
Technically, yes, Matt was a part of family through marriage, but he didn't think either of them labelled the other as a brother. What had started as disinterest and became hatred eventually evolved into friendship. Matt wasn't his sister's brother-in-law; he was his friend, and despite the way they treated the other at times, Matt always had his back, and he always had his.
That was why he would never forgive Megumi. She had hurt his friend.
That girl was supposedly the one who knew Matt the best, so if she knew what he would become, then how could she have cut him off so cruelly?
For that, yes, he was absolutely certain that Matt could do better.
"All right. I think that's everything for now. I'll ring you later once I get more information."
Finally.
"…Congratulations again."
He could almost see the ear-to-ear grin at the other end of the line. "Thanks a lot, Matt. I really couldn't be happier."
Things had taken an awkward turn.
He had thought the night had gone well, so when it had come to an end and he had walked her to her door, he had leaned in for a kiss. She had turned away, and he had had to stop himself before his lips could touch her cheek. He had laughed it off as he rubbed the side of his neck, trying to make a joke out of it.
"Well, this is awkward."
"I don't kiss on the first date."
"Well then," he had said with a grin, "I guess that means I'll just have to ask you out on a second one."
And that was when she had fallen silent, leaving him to realise that she was not just having playful banter, but that he was in actuality seconds away from rejection.
In retrospect, there had been little signs. When he had tried to drop hints that he wanted to see her again, she had never responded to a single one. He had thought she had merely missed them, but she had probably caught on and ignored them on purpose.
He had to admit it. He was a little stunned.
The conversations had flowed, the chemistry had been there, there had been no major mishaps on either side. His mistake came the night he met her, but she had obviously been attracted enough to him to accept a first date. What had he done so terribly wrong that couldn't warrant a second?
"Is it because I work for Mitsubishi? Do you only date guys who work at Sumitomo?" he joked, trying to cover up his embarrassment.
She laughed and shook her head. "It's not that."
"Am I ugly?"
"No, you're handsome. It's just…" She paused, studying his face. "You aren't lying to me, are you?"
"What?" he asked loudly without thinking, forgetting to appear composed due to sheer confusion. It definitely had not been what he was expecting her to say.
"I'm sorry," she said quickly, looking alarmed too. "I don't know. It's just that you seem so great—but that night I met you—your friend said you lied a lot—and then you lied about Kyoto—and then that girl at the convenience store—and you changed restaurants—and—er—" She looked down, then looked up again, red in the face. "I'm so sorry. I must sound completely mental right now. I just… I want to make sure you aren't lying to me."
He couldn't help but notice this was the second time she had stuttered like this, but he continued not to draw attention to it.
"I'm not lying to you," he said, trying to sound as genuine as possible.
She was investigating his face, trying to find any traces of untruth in his expression. He tried not to show the awkwardness he felt, but he had to admit that she had made it difficult for him not to do so.
"I'm sorry," she repeated with a wince, obviously embarrassed too.
"I'm going to kill Matt when I get home," he growled light-heartedly, though he was serious. This was all that bastard's fault. Just wait until he got his hands on him.
"Did I just ruin my chance with you?" she asked slowly, shifting her weight from one foot to the other.
Her words made him breathe a sigh of relief, somewhat reviving the confidence he had previously held that she was at the very least interested in him.
"Not yet. I still want that kiss, so I want a second date." Smirking, he added, "Maybe if I can convince you that I'm not a liar, you might give me a third."
She laughed a little, but he could tell she was still embarrassed. "A second date sounds lovely. And, er, I really am sorry. All of that was a little uncalled for."
"I'll forgive you." He lifted his finger and pointed it to his cheek. "Can I at least get a kiss here? You know, for all this mental stress you just put me through?"
She laughed but still looked hesitant by his request.
"Not even on the cheek?" he teased.
After a moment's thought, she gradually reached up to kiss it. It was childish, something that got him in trouble when he had been young and shy, but he turned at the last second, sneaking in a peck on the lips. He knew there was a chance it would make her angry, but she laughed it off, giving his shoulder a small push instead.
"There. Now we both did things that were uncalled for, so we're even," he explained.
"That's the only reason I'm letting it pass," she joked back, biting her lips as if she were wiping them, making him want to try kissing them again.
"Now that I got the kiss, I guess there's no need for a second date," he said, putting his hands in his pockets as he grinned. "You were right. I was lying when I said I wanted another one."
She rolled her eyes. "That wasn't even a real kiss."
"So give me a real one," he challenged.
"Would it change your mind about a second date?"
"I'd say so."
"All right then." Surprised that it had worked, he let her put her hands on his forearms and lean upwards towards his lips. He lowered his head down to meet her halfway, but she pulled back at the last second and stepped back. "I was lying too. I don't want a second date either." She turned around to unbolt the door to her flat. "Good night."
"You really aren't going to kiss me?" He was staring at her in disbelief, and his question came out more serious than he wanted it to sound.
It didn't faze her, as she only smirked at him. "You already got one, remember?"
"But you said it wasn't a real one," he reminded her.
"I don't kiss on the first date," she reminded him.
"Can't you break it just this once?"
She laughed. "Not for a guy like you, no."
"A guy like me?"
She nodded, smiling but not giving him an explanation. "Good night, Tai."
"Wait," he said quickly. He wanted to either try his luck again or ask her if she was insulting him, but he decided to keep it safe. "We'll keep it casual next time."
She nodded again. "Deal."
"I'll show you I'm not a liar."
"We'll see."
Whether she saw the disappointment on his face or felt bad for her last comment, she reached up and gave him the kiss on his cheek he had cheated her out of earlier. It was nothing, a cheek kiss, but for as innocent and uneventful as a cheek kiss was, this one did feel a little nice.
"Good night."
Tai threw open the front door of his flat, ready to unleash his fury. "Where are you, douchebag?!"
His flatmate didn't respond to him, so he slammed the door and marched over to Matt's room. Sora not trusting him was all Matt's fault, and even though he couldn't say he was really all that angry anymore, he still wanted to give him a piece of his mind.
He knocked hard against the door. "Get out here. I have to yell at you."
He heard a distant sigh, followed by the door opening slightly.
"What," Matt said dully, clearly looking like he wanted to be left alone.
Tai ignored his signal, pushing his door open and coming inside, instantly crinkling his nose by the cigarette smell overtaking the room.
"It smells like ass. Open a window," he nagged.
Not responding, Matt glumly situated himself at his previous spot at his desk. He was accompanied by a nearly empty bottle of gin, an empty cup, and a filthy ashtray that Tai wanted to fling at his head to remind him for the millionth time to keep outside.
"What do you want?" Matt asked irritably.
"Why are you in such a good mood?" he retorted back sarcastically. Matt ignored him, pouring the rest of his gin in his empty glass before taking it in one gulp. "Are you drunk again?"
He didn't even know why he was asking. Nowadays, he saw Matt drunk more than he saw him sober.
"No," Matt answered simply, flicking the ash off his cigarette onto the ashtray. "We don't have anything left."
"And whose fault is that?" Tai growled.
"I'll pay you back."
"You're missing the point."
Matt sighed gloomily, and Tai forced himself not to roll his eyes.
"What's wrong with you now, Princess?"
Matt didn't glare at him like he usually would, taking a last drag of his cigarette, putting it out, and lighting another. Annoyed, Tai walked to his window and opened it.
"It's cold."
"I'd rather be cold than breathing in that shit."
"It's my room."
"Then get up and shut your window."
"I've been invited to a wedding."
Tai raised an eyebrow by the sudden change in subject. "That's nice."
"Everyone will probably ask me about Meg there," Matt explained.
Tai wanted to strangle him for thinking about such a thing. "Nobody's going to ask you about her. That's just awkward."
"All our mutual friends are going to be there. People are going to ask."
"Nobody's going to ask."
"They've already been asking."
"Then tell them to mind their own business."
"What if Meg comes?"
"Give that bitch a piece of your mind!"
"She's not a bitch."
Tai rolled his eyes.
Matt sighed again, then stood up. "I'm going to the liquor store. Do you want anything?"
"Stop drinking so much," he reprimanded.
"You're one to talk," Matt scoffed. "You drink more than I do, and I never nag at you."
He frowned. "It's one thing to have one drink every night, but it's another to drink like you've just turned twenty every single day by yourself in your room."
"It isn't every day."
"Really? Because—" He stopped his sarcastic reply when he saw how miserable Matt looked. He didn't want his friend to become an alcoholic, but Matt did have a point. He didn't feel like it was his place to say anything to him when he was the one who used any excuse to drink excessively. He sighed too. "Look, are you all right?"
Matt took another drag of his cigarette, keeping it in his lungs for a few seconds before exhaling the smoke away from Tai's direction. This was evolutionary in their friendship. Back in uni when they had disliked each other, Matt would blow it in his face.
"No."
"Matt, there are other—"
"Don't give me the damn spiel about other girls, Tai," he interrupted irritably before letting the testiness change back to gloom, apparently too depressed to argue. "I read online that it takes half the time you were with someone to get over them."
"Why are you looking up stuff like that?"
"If that's true, it means it'll take me six years, six months, one week and one day to get over her. It's only been thirteen days. I can't do it, Tai."
Matt had gone mad. He was crazy for keeping count of such a thing, but Tai didn't say this aloud because he seriously thought Matt was on the verge of a mental breakdown—or had already partaken in one.
"The wedding is going to blow."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do." Matt finished the rest of his cigarette and put it out with the others. "At least I still have you."
"Whoa," Tai muttered cautiously.
Matt didn't glare at him like he usually would have. "I mean at least I can count on you to be single with me while the rest of my friends are so happy."
The image of his date earlier briefly flashed in Tai's mind.
"Yeah," he agreed. "Fuck bitches, get money, right?"
Matt looked confused. "What? What are you talking about?"
"They're lyrics from a rap song."
"I don't listen to rap music."
"Well, excuse me. Go look it up. It's a good song."
"Doubt it," Matt muttered. "Anyway, I'm off to get more alcohol. You sure you don't want anything?"
Tai watched as Matt shuffled about, dragging his feet sluggishly on the floor as he walked over to his wardrobe for a jacket. Everything about him screamed "pity me." His slouched shoulders lowered his tall frame, his sharp features and pale complexion highlighted the dark shadows underneath his eyes and gaunt cheeks, and his prized hair was dishevelled and unstyled. He looked an absolute mess that couldn't be thrown out in public, a far cry from the sleek person he knew.
"Don't go," Tai said quietly. "I have stuff in my room. You can drink that."
Matt didn't look his way. "It's fine."
"Just drink it. I don't want it anyway."
"It's fine."
"Take it when I'm offering instead of stealing it from me later."
"I said it's fine!" Matt hissed irritably, turning to glare at him. He looked slightly alarmed by his outburst, and he ran a hand over his face as he took a deep breath. "Sorry."
"…It's all right."
Tai stepped aside to let him go. He was Matt's friend, not his father, and if Matt wanted to do something, he had no right to stop him.
The two left Matt's room, but just before Tai entered his own, Matt asked, "Didn't you say you were going to yell at me for something?"
He was referring to when he had stormed in earlier. Tai had forgotten all about that. He had come to reprimand him for what Matt had told Sora, and how that had left a lasting impression on her.
Now, however, he felt it to be so trivial, almost inappropriate. Sora was not his girlfriend, and for all he knew, he would get tired of her by tomorrow. If his track record was any indication, it was a likely possibility.
He decided for now that Matt did not need to know about her.
"…I was going to tell you to smoke on the balcony."
Matt nodded, dismissing it as nothing, and the two parted ways.
Notes:
- As with every country, different parts of Japan have different dialects, but with Japanese it is relatively easier to "fix" them to make it sound more generic. An example of this was shown in Tamers. Ryou, being from Kyushu, spoke with a regional dialect when speaking to his father, but he sounded very standard when he spoke to the other Tamers, who resided in Tokyo. This is very common in Japanese and can be done with little strain in comparison to other countries' tongues. That's what I meant when I said Sora changed her Kyoto dialect to a standard Tokyo one.
- Mitsubishi and Sumitomo are two of the largest conglomerates in Japan. Mitsubishi Corporation is a part of the Mitsubishi brand.